Culinary School Alternative: "I bought a one-way ticket to Italy." There, Cicala spent two years apprenticing at Al Cenacolo, in Salerno. He continues to make regular "research" trips to Italy for Le Virtù.

What He Trained as Before Becoming a Chef: A minor-league hockey player

That Single Strand of Pasta: Cicala says the recipe originated in Abruzzo around the 1300s; he learned to make it from "two old ladies" who make the pasta every day at their restaurant in Italy. Cicala hand pulls the pasta—a mixture of just flour and water (no eggs or salt)—until it's up to 100 feet long. To cook it, he wraps the strand into a huge braid; then he serves the pasta the traditional way: on a communal board in the middle of the table. Note: To try the super-long pasta, be sure to call the restaurant 24 hours in advance to put in your order.